Torsional shock absorber



July 2, 1935. MCGARVEY E. TATE TORSIONAL SHOCK ABSORBER Filed Sept. 14, 1953 Patented July 2, 1935 1 I 2,006,578 7 TORSIONAL SHOCK ABSORBER McGarvey E. Tate, Somerset, Ky. Application September 14,1933, Serial No-1689, 175

3 Claims. (01464-96) This invention relates to a shock absorbing posed between the flanged-side of the ring I! and means. the inner side' of the flange I6.

An object of this invention is to provide'a shock The h in s preferably h0110W and a 1 absorbing means for a power or drive shaft so as is slidable therein mt in the present 5 to prevent jerking of the driven elements and instance, the 1 2 1 is Secured against t n -5 thereby eliminate undue strain on thesedriven Within h i the housing W y Providing elements and also on the power or drive shaft. an 941131119101 rectangular Shaped bore e Another object of this invention is to provide housing has p n 0r plunger 23 slidable a cushioning means for a power shaft disposed in a 100m "P e n i housing and, in the between the driving element and the driven ele- Present instance, the bore 2415 round that 10 ment so that either of these. elements may be the P t Plunger not only Shdable in rotated .to a degree relative to the other and the this bore but also retatable- I o I rotation of the elements relative to each other y Piston plunger 2" is connected to the I retarded by a suitable cushioning means which Piston or Plunger means of a Connecting is will gradually take hold, thereby eliminating the rod o r :2 an 'bh connecting member 25 is sudden rotation of one element by another. has a blwderwbore 5 h e hr' opens The above and arious other objects and. adatone end through the piston and at the Other vantages 'of this invention will in part be dedi h vre r I this scribed and in part be understood from thefolmoYemeni? longitudinally t two lowing detaileddescription of the present prem s 0 t tfi 21.341161 231 is permitted 2o ierred embodiment, the same being illustrated the now of liquid or m one compresin the accompanying drawing wherein:- tmh an he is'cohtlohedi there Figure 1 is a longitudinal section partly in demg r va u chamber d tail of a device constructed according to they preoni n the Others? 'I'h portion of the Space UNITED STATES ATENT oFFIcE ferrediemb'odime'nt of this invention. I between he nne nd of plun er I an 25 Figure 2 is a sectional View taken on the line the 16 nd of the bore :22' comprises a com- 1 2 f Figure 1 pression chamber and a liquid in the form of Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line on the i e. m e p d in this 00m- 3 f Figure pression chamber. In the same manner, the bore 80 "Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 24 t u s-a pr s on hamber a d th B0 f Figure 1; space between the inner end of the plunger 23 Referring .to the drawing wherein like nuand the inner. nd o h o is, adapted to merals of reference designate corresponding he l d wi h a l qu d or may be filled with air, parts throughout the'several views, the numeral d as he float ng 1 h ng mem- I0 designates a drive shaft, and the numeral er w s s thetpistohs d 3- d the 35 designates" diagrammatically a driven shaft or {onnecfing er zimovesinthe cylinders, the element Order to; cushicn the shogks inci liquid will flow through the bleeder opening from dent to the rotation of the shafts II) and" II, 1 one y nd b ushthe bleede openin into have provided a cylindrical member or housing i h P l lg y hdflw, s, s v

I2, which is secured against rotation at one end inde r f t h a thr ded to the drive shaft I0 as by a securing element I3. iP v il t gh h W th m? communicat- A second cylindrical member or housing I 4 is the q 22 and 3 plug HPIOSBS secured as by a securing element I5 to the driven 1S fi er p The (.zylmder housmg shaft or element In, and the ends of the two is also provlded w1th an opening 29 communicathousings I2 and I4 abut against each other. The g g 2312323? 3 1 523 thls finer Opening is drive housing I2 is provided at its outer end or the end confronting the housing I 4 with an zigg g gfi g i fg ggg ig g gggg g gifi g annular flange and a flanged f 15 spring 32 is disposed, and when this spring 32 cured as y threads and element is compressed under the action of the plunger 50 I9 to the inner end of the hollslng I4 and 1005613? or piston 2|, the convolutions of the spring will e s about the ge be substantially disposed between the inner end The flanged ring I! is rotatable on the periphof the cylinder I2 and the outer end of the ery of the housing I2 inwardly of the flange I6 abutment3l. This spring 32 constantly urges the and a thrust or cushioning member 20 is interpiston or plunger 2| outwardly The cylinder I4 55 has an abutment 33 similar to the abutment 3| and a coil spring 34 is disposed about this abutment 33 and engages against the inner side of the piston 23 and constantly urges this piston 23 outwardly against the tension of the spring 32. Under the action of the springs 32 and 34, the two pistons or plungers 2| and 23 will normally be disposed when the shafts I and I are stationary at substantially the central point between the two cylinders or casings I2 and 14. The connecting link or bar 25 connecting the pistons 2| and 23 together is provided with threads 35 which engage a nut member or head 36 threaded into the inner end of the casing M. A key 31 holds this head 36 against rotation when it is in desired position in the cylinder IL.

In the use and operation of the shock absorbing means hereinbefore described, when the drive shaft I0 is initially rotated, the piston orplunger 2| will be rotated therewith and under the action of the rotation of the drive shaft 10, the piston 2| through the medium of the threaded connecting member 25 will be moved longitudinally of the bore 22. This movement can be in either direction but is preferably in the direction of the outer end of the cylinder |2 so as to move the piston 23 toward the abutment 33'. As the piston 23 moves inwardly against the tension of the spring 34, the liquid or air within the compression chamber will flow through" the bleeder opening 26 into the enlarging chamber between the piston 2| and the inner end of the bore 22. As the drive shaft I0 is rotated, the driven shaft II will pick up gradually and will be rotated at the same speed as the drive shaft l0 when the piston 23 contacts with the abutment 33.

It will, of course, be understood that the shock absorbing means will operate equally as well by reversal of the driving operation, that'is, the driven shaft II will force the piston 23 away from the abutment 33 and the piston 2| against the abutment 3| when the torsional strain on the shaft is greater than the torsional strain on the shaft Hi. This device may, therefore, be used on a drive shaft for any power'means and when used on the drive shaft of the motorvehicle, the device is interposed intermediate the length of the shaft. 3

It is, of course, understood that various changes and modifications may be made in the'details of construction and design of the above specifically described embodiment of this invention without departing from the spirit thereof, such changes and modifications being restricted only by the scope of the following claims,

What is claimed is:- v

1. A torsional shock absorbing device comprising a pair of alined and abutting cylinders, means for swivelly securing the abutting ends of the cylinders together, one of said cylinders having a round and smooth inner surface and the other of said cylinders having a polygonal and smooth inner surface,a round piston slidable in said one cylinder, a polygonal piston slidable in said other cylinder, a plate provided with an axial threaded opening secured in the inner end of one of said cylinders, a threaded connecting member secured to each of said pistons and engaging through the opening in the plate, said connecting member having an axial opening therethrough and said pistons each having an axial opening communicating with the opening in the connecting member, and a liquid in said cylinders and movable from one cylinder to the other through said openings upon movement of the pistons in the cylinders.

2. A torsional shock absorbing device comprising a pair of alined and abutting cylinders, means for swivelly securing the abutting ends of the cylinders together, one of said cylinders having a round and smooth inner surface and the other of said cylinders having a polygonal and smooth inner surface, a round piston slidable in said one cylinder, a polygonal piston slidable in the other cylinder, a plate carried by one of the cylinders and provided with an axial threaded opening, a threaded connecting member fixed to each of said pistons and threadably extending through the plate, said connecting member having an axial opening therethrough and said pistons having an axial opening communicating with the opening in the connecting member, a liquid in said cylinders and movable from one cylinder to the other through said openings upon movement of the pistons in the cylinders and a pair of springs, one in each cylinder engaging against a piston to constantly urge the pistons toward the abutting ends of the cylinders.

3. A torsional shock absorbing device compris ing a pair of alined and abutting cylinders, means for swivelly securing the abutting ends of the cylinders together, one of said cylinders having a round and smooth inner surface and the other of said cylinders having a polygonal and smooth inner surface, a round piston slidable in said one cylinder, a polygonal piston slidable in the other cylinder, a plate carried by one of the cylinders and provided with an axial threaded opening, a threaded connecting memberfixed to each of said pistons and threadably extending through the plate, said connecting member having an axial opening therethrough and said pistons having an axial opening communicating with the opening in the connecting member, a liquid in said cylinders and movable from one cylinder to the other through said openingsupon movement of the pistons in the cylinders, and a'pair of abutments secured one within each cylinder and disposed interiorly of a portion of each spring whereby to limit the movement of the pistons.

MCGARVEY E. TATE. 

